Asus makes healthy profits on sales of 3 million tablets

Asus, it seems, is one company that isn't being as affected by the significant downturn in PC sales. Instead of computers, it's selling a decent amount of tablets - 3 million in Q1 - and has managed to create $202 million in clear profit on earnings of $3.5 billion. That's a 5.8 per cent increase over the previous year.

In line with other manufacturers, Asus saw fewer laptop and PC component sales, which is significant for the company because it's the fifth largest supplier of computers. Indeed, this quarter was the worst since records began in 1994.

The Wall Street Journal suggests the firm's success comes, at least in part, from its deal with Google to produce the Nexus 7. And, of course, the Asus Android tablets are some of the very best we've tested, with both useful form factors and some of the features - like high-resolution displays - that make them a credible alternative to Apple's iPad.

And, while we're talking about Apple, it's worth, for comparison, pointing out that the Californian company sold 23 million iPads in the last quarter of 2012 and nearly 48 million iPhones.

Asus says it expects earnings in the next quarter to stay around the same level, which some have taken as indication that there won't be a new Nexus device from the company until Q3 or Q4.